Days Like Champagne
by alpha aquarii
Summary: Things not mentioned in the job description for Professor Sycamore's lab assistant include: dressing up as the masked defenders of Kalos, keeping the professor's many secret admirers from running into each other, and accidentally falling for your fellow assistant. Sina/Dexio, Lysandre/Sycamore.


**days **

like

_- champagne -_

When Professor Sycamore first mentions a new research assistant will be joining her, Sina can't help but pout. She was having the time of her life, after all, wearing her cute white miniskirts and frolicking with Pokémon under the guidance of one of the most universally-wanted bachelors of Kalos. But all the slight jealousy she might've been harboring evaporates when a few days later he ushers a sandy-haired boy her age into the lab.

"I'm Dexio," he says, extending his hand.

"Hi! My name's Sina." She shakes his hand, and pauses. "Sina and Dexio." She grins. "We sound good together."

"Or Dexio and Sina," he suggests, but then shakes his head good-naturedly. "Nah. You're right, Sina and Dexio sounds better."

**v**

A normal day, fair weather. She and Dexio are spread out over Route 4 searching for Flabébé to battle, and she's finally managed to catch one of them. Sina wades out of the tall grass, already smiling at the thought of what he and Professor Sycamore will say when she shows them her catch, when none but the professor himself nearly runs into her.

They both jerk back just in time, and Sina nearly drops her clipboard. "Professor?"

"Sina!" He stares at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Collecting information on the battle weaknesses of Fairy-type Pokémon." She leaves the _for you_ unsaid.

"Ah, yes, of course." Professor Sycamore runs a hand through his hair and rushes through his subsequent words. "Sina, I know this is sudden, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances I'm giving you the rest of the day off. Tell Dexio too. You can finish up here and go home—you have everything with you, yes?—no need to go back to the Lab, then. Understand? It's important that you don't go back to the Lab. It could be… dangerous."

"Dangerous? Was there an accident?"

"No! That's not it either, I don't mean to worry you. It'll be all settled by tomorrow, I promise. Now please excuse me, I have to run."

So saying, he turns on his heel and literally sprints for the Lumiose Gate.

Sina shrugs it off, though this is strange even by the professor's standards of eccentricity, and starts to pack up. Only a few minutes later, though, a brown-haired beauty jogs up to her from farther down the route. "_Excusez-moi_, did a man just run by here? White lab coat, frazzled-looking?"

"The Professor? Sure, he just headed for his lab over in Lumiose."

"_Merci_, my dear!" The woman blows her a kiss, then, as she's turning, chuckles to herself, "Just wait until he sees the little surprise I have for him."

Something about her tone makes Sina blanch. She dials her fellow assistant on her Holo Caster once the brunette is out of earshot. "Dexio? Where are you?"

"I'm back in Lumiose now, why?"

"Professor Sycamore just came by and told me that we have the rest of the day off and are not to go back to the lab under any circumstances."

"It's too late now, I'm practically here."

"Well then, wait for me!" Indeed, she can hear the telltale sound of machines buzzing in the background, and then the sound of the front door opening. She starts jogging towards the gate, because Dexio is _not_ getting to see anything she isn't, when suddenly a choked sound comes from her Holo Caster.

"Actually, Sina…" he says, his voice going a bit funny, "you'd better not come over here after all. I…'ve never seen so much frilly underwear in my life."

**v**

"My two brave assistants!" Sycamore exclaims. "The time has come to reveal to you one of the chief secrets of the Sycamore Pokémon Lab! For as long as this institution has stood, my assistants have been proud to serve Kalos in a capacity above and beyond the mere fieldwork I ask of you now! It is time for you to become… not Sina and Dexio, my humble research assistants, but the masked defenders of Kalos!"

Honestly, after having to deal with the third unsolicited love letter this week, the masks and scarves are almost a relief.

**v**

Friday afternoon, just a few minutes before their shift is officially over, Sina finishes cataloguing a Pokédex entry that's been giving her trouble for days. She sighs, drained but proud, and stands up to get ready to leave. But as she skips down the hallway towards the exit, something catches her eye. She pauses at the doorway of one of the studies to find Dexio hesitating in front of a couch.

Professor Sycamore is splayed on it, head against one armrest and long legs propped on the other, one hand curled to his chest and the other touching the floor. Dexio's eyes shift to her as he catches sight of her at the door. "Should we wake him? The lab's about to close down for the weekend."

Sina stamps her foot—but carefully, as not to wake the professor. "Knew it! Who was in charge of boiling the afternoon coffee, Dexio? Anyways, don't just stand there!"

But before they can do anything, the doorbell to the laboratory rings. She zips off to answer it, and can hear Dexio following. Behind the door is a red-haired man who doesn't visit their laboratory often, but the professor has sung his praises enough for them to know how to act. Sina swallows. "Oh! Good afternoon, Lysandre."

He inclines his head to both of them. "Hello, Sina, Dexio. Is the professor still in?"

Dexio hesitates. "He's here, but… asleep at the moment, actually."

Neither of them will admit it, but they're both a little intimidated by Lysandre. So when he asks to be shown to the study, albeit as politely as possible, they lead him to the sleeping professor without question.

He sighs. "He should pay you more to have to deal with this." And without further ado, Lysandre shakes Professor Sycamore's shoulder until the man comes to with a startled yelp.

"Lysandre? Oh, it's just you." He yawns. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

A slight furrow in Lysandre's brow suggests that more than one part of that response was a mistake.

"_Professor_, we agreed to meet half an hour ago. You stand me up in my own café, and then force me to travel half the city looking for you, all because you've decided to take a midday nap?"

The professor is out of the couch and scrambling for his things before Lysandre can finish. "Yes, sorry, sorry! I've had a rough day, to be honest, lots of work, but honestly, Lysandre, I didn't forget!" This is a lie, as both Sina and Dexio know. The Professor has been out almost the whole day, only returning well into the afternoon with a certain perk to his manner that they've learned not to pry into. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. Dinner's on me."

This seems to be their cue to leave. They duck out of the building just in time to hear Lysandre's incredulous voice.

"Augustine… is that a thong behind your bookcase?"

**v**

Sometimes, they battle to keep each other on their toes, but their record remains distressingly even.

"Oh, phooey," Sina complains, returning her last Poké Ball to her belt.

"You won last time," Dexio reminds her. He stretches, glancing at the grass and sand around them before checking his watch. "We still have half an hour before we have to go back. Do you want to get coffee?"

"My uniform's all dirty," she sighs, staring down at the scuffs of dirt on the white at the fringes of her skirt and her sleeves. Dexio's is pristine, of course, even though there's more of it to get dirty. "We'd better stay here."

So he plops next to her on the grass. They spend a few seconds in comfortable silence, watching the Fletchling play. After a moment, he says, "I hear the Professor's thinking of giving Pokédexes to some kids from Vaniville Town."

"Really? How exciting!"

"Yes. He's going to entrust us with helping them along on their journeys. He says we're to be mentors to them."

"That sounds awesome! Protecting and guiding them as the masked defenders of Kalos!" she laughs, pumping a fist.

He catches her off-guard with a soft smile that makes his eyes glint a deeper blue than usual. "Or maybe just as Sina and Dexio."

The day is fair but cool, so she can't blame the sun for the sudden heat in her cheeks. Sina looks at him and feels herself grinning, bright and bubbly, like she always has from the first time they met. "Even better."

**v**

"Professor, we've finished the report on the Fairy-type Pokémon Flabébé," says Dexio, and Sina proudly hands him a stapled stack of papers.

"Fantastic, fantastic work as always." The professor places the report on a corner of his desk, where it's sure to get lost in a matter of minutes. Too off-handedly, he asks, "I don't suppose anyone named Bridget called, did they?"

"Actually, she did," Sina pipes up. "She wanted to know if you were free tomorrow evening, but we told her you weren't available."

This makes him pause. "You what?"

"Because… because you have dinner and movie plans with Lysandre at seven, remember?"

Professor Sycamore blinks, looking genuinely confused. "And you're informed of them?"

Sina blushes madly; it's hard enough sometimes to bear the full weight of the professor's gaze without also talking about him personally. "Y-yes! I mean, he came around earlier today to ask for you when you were in that meeting, and reminded us to remind you of them."

She can feel Dexio squirming uncomfortably next to her. Professor Sycamore studies them for a moment, and then suddenly laughs.

"Has he got you two on his side now? That scoundrel," he says, and sits back with what they can only describe as a happy purr.

"He didn't need to get us on his side, really, because we know you wouldn't want to have forgotten about them…" and then Dexio trails off too, color coming to the tops of his cheeks. Professor Sycamore only looks amused, the corners of his lips striking upward.

"Ohoho. It seems I can hide nothing from the masked defenders of Kalos. As I put you up to that secret of yours, perhaps I can trust you to keep this secret of mine, my wonderful assistants." Beaming, he pulls open a desk drawer, withdraws two folded pieces of paper, and presses them into Sina's hands. "A little thanks for the reminder."

"What are these, professor?"

"Two reservations for an all-expenses-included dinner at Restaurant Le Wow, scheduled for this Saturday, for you and Dexio," he announces.

"Wh-what? Me and Dexio? At _Le Wow_? But why?"

He _winks_, maddeningly enough. "Because you two work hard, and you deserve a break. Call it a gift."

"Professor," says Dexio, "are these the same reservations that that lady brought to try to get you on a date with h—"

"I don't _know_," Professor Sycamore interrupts him emphatically, the hint of color coming to his own cheeks, "what you're talking about, Dexio. But I hope you enjoy your dinner."

Later, as they're walking back to their homes, Sina turns the reservation tickets over in her hands. "Why did he give us these? These are only for VIPs, and moreover, usually only couples go together to fancy restaurants like these!" Also, the tickets smell vaguely of perfume.

"Maybe he was trying to say something," Dexio muses. When she stares at him, he laughs. "Or maybe he really was trying to get rid of them. We better hope that _mademoiselle_ doesn't find out why he stood her up."

They pause at the intersection where they part ways. Sina straightens her skirt and hands him one of the pieces of paper. "Anyways, I'll see you Saturday. You better not forget your ticket!"

"Same to you," he grins, and she turns around before he can see the smile that threatens the edges of her composure.

**v**

**v**

**v**

"You know, Dexio," she says, straightening her napkin on her lap, "sometimes I think we have the best jobs in all of Kalos."

"I'll drink to that," he says. Her fingers brush his as they bring their glasses together.

_Clink_.

**v v v**


End file.
